Don't rollback energy efficiency standards

Rep. Matt Pierce is exactly right ("Bill would eliminate Daniels' clean energy program," Feb 26) in calling Duke Energy and like utilities "entrenched monopolies." They are not subject to market forces, but make money by complying with hundred-year-old regulations that motivate them to build infrastructure and sell electricity.

Energy expenditure is peaking, and those regulations don't make sense any more. With the energy situation changing rapidly, enforcing the status quo doesn't make sense either, much less rolling back what little progress we've made. Amending SB340 to eliminate the energy-efficiency mandate is nonsensical and profoundly wrong-headed in configuring Indiana to meet today's challenges, much less tomorrow's. The legislature needs to defeat SB 340, whether the original bill or as amended.